One Rule
by Preydator
Summary: What if Doc Yewll found a way to pilot the ship on her own? What if Nolan could honor Irisa's wish for the Omec's safety and return to Earth with her? In the wake of Season 3, Nolan and Irisa are left without direction. What could a vacation hurt? Soul searching, Irisa is drawn back to a place that maybe should stay forgotten. Will the tenets of their shared vow see them through?
1. Chapter 1

Defiance - "One Rule"

It had been too long since Joshua Nolan had simply traversed the newly terraformed Earth; since he had taken to the landscape simply for exploration's sake. His position as Chief Lawkeeper of old world St. Louis' Defiance hardly allowed for it. That and his charge, Irisa.

Their roller glided with greater ease over the rough terrain than ever before, his standing in the community allowing for the best in maintenance. Early morning air nipped at his exposed neck through the barred, glassless viewport of the vehicle's driver side door. He grinned, chuckling faintly. The hum and roar of the engine attempting to comply with his onerous commands served only to make the expression grow. Saturated in the moment, he turned his head towards the young Irathient girl who rode silently next to him. Her expression was as unreadable as ever.

In light of the moment, Nolan couldn't help but notice how much she had grown up in the time since they'd unceremoniously been inducted as members into the town of Defiance. Of course, she'd matured physically. That much was obvious. He had to admit that her new choice of hairstyle was an improvement. The twin braids like liquid flame traced her left temple as the rest hung freely complemented her personality perfectly.

What was more noticeable was the way her lips set in an ever determined manor; how her distinctly Irathient amber gaze only multiplied in its intensity. He could not be sure what she as looking at but it likely wasn't on the road ahead. Her scrutiny of the unknown and the intertwined hands in her lap seldom changed. This was the "brooding stare" he'd become quite familiar with. Mostly because it was often focused on him. The look usually greeted him when he arrived back home from a particularly... beneficial meeting with one of the fine purveyors of the NeedWant. Normally, it was in his best interests to leave her be but he wouldn't allow it this time. This aimless trip was a trip to relax! A way for both of them to blow off some steam.

"How about some Jackson, kid? I know it's your favorite..." Nolan teased after a moment, his grin growing in size while he jokingly reached for the salvaged mp3 player they'd "liberated" from its previous owner long ago. Without so much as a sideways glance, Irisa grabbed his hand, holding it away from the device. Nolan wasn't surprised, as he was blatantly teasing her, but her grip was slight. Soft, even. She gently pushed his hand back on to the steering wheel, burgundy leather clad arm brushing against the leather of the seat when it returned to her.

"Not now." Was her simple reply. The strategically placed knives she wore throughout her fur and leather clothing clinked together in their nets and sheaths, barely audible when the roller could not quite compensate for the terrain. Nolan relented, shrugging his shoulder and nodding his head to the side in a somewhat comical manor attempting to lighten the mood.

"Suit yourself." He relented somewhat unwillingly. A polite grip from her was almost unheard of, she usually choosing to be rather forceful in her actions. "It's only the song we listened to on the way to our new home but..." he shrugged, "what do I know?" The corner of Irisa's mouth softened, not quite in a grin but enough that Nolan knew she had heard him. He didn't hear her mutter the word "home" under her breath.

Nolan's attention returned forward, a fair blue sky greeting his eyes. His right hand fell into his lap as he relaxed in the marginally comfortable seat. His left hand kept contact with the steering wheel, elbow propped against the door.

"Can I ask you something?" He queried abruptly. Irisa turned to face him, her expression one of passing curiosity. After a few seconds when she hadn't spoken, Nolan glanced at her to see if he had her attention before looking forward again. He'd learned long ago not to read too far into her less than glamorous social capabilities. "Now, answer honestly. If you could go anywhere, where would you go?" She squinted in confusion at the question. Likely she didn't understand what light the question was being asked in so he elaborated. "I mean without me. Just for fun," he finished, gesturing to dismiss himself from consideration. The former soldier could imagine that she needed a break after everything that was the Omec "invasion".

"I don't know," Irisa answered. Nolan was about to shrug off the conversation but she spoke again. "Antarctica sounds beautiful but you told me it's fake," she continued, waving off Nolan's reply with a raised hand before it began. She grinned when he huffed. "We've never gone to see the place you grew up. Maybe we could go there?" Her brows raised slightly in cautious optimism.

Irisa's response admittedly surprised him. Nolan navigated around a particularly jagged piece of rock in the badly maintained road. He, himself had not even considered going back "home". But then again, it wasn't home anymore. Besides, he was certain he'd already told the young Irathient he was from St. Louis, which they were just leaving.

"I told you, I lived here when I was growing up. Remember?" He reminded, an unexpected twinge of long forgotten pain resurfacing for a fraction of a second before it was supressed. He attempted to distract himself further by patting her left leg in a fatherly manner coupled with a grin. If she'd picked up on this change she didn't let it on. That being said, Nolan reminded himself of just how "deadly" and attentive he'd raised his little girl to be.

"I know." Irisa's head tilted ever so slightly as if observing him from a different angle. "I meant your childhood home. The 'house' you lived in," She returned the pat in an exaggerated fashion, huffing out a laugh herself. Damn her. He couldn't be more proud.

"I don't think it exists anymore, kid. Long buried under the first invasion wave." He admitted. "Enough about that," he said, waving the topic away. He'd had enough thinking of the past already. "I'd have to go with you there anyway. Where else would you like to go?"

Irisa's brow hardened at his dismissal but there was something in her eyes that, if Nolan knew anything about her, said she wasn't done. She rested her arm against her own door in contemplation. "I've never been north. Maybe I could go see Montana or North Dakota." Thankfully she didn't press the matter further. Yet.

"There's nothing there but flatlands and wind. Even after the terraforming none of that really changed." Nolan said, more or dismissing her idea. "That, and snow. Lots and lots of snow." Irisa seemed to accept the explanation but didn't offer any further ideas. He _had_ been shooting them all down. A sigh forced its way from his lungs. "Sorry. I'll be quiet. Anywhere else?" Irisa's features froze as if something had struck her. Whether it was welcome or not was hard to tell for Nolan. Her fingers deftly removed one of the knives from its sheath on her thigh, twirling it in a modest but elegant flourish. It was like a security blanket for her.

"I want to go to Denver." Her answer was clipped, final. The meager blade point pressed lightly against her thigh, held up by her index finger. All outside distraction quieted in the wake of her decision.

"Kid, are you sure? The place is crawling with E-Rep." His worried eyes watched her closely. So much for keeping quiet. How could he when she dropped something like that?

The blade in Irisa's hand began to spin at the tip casually in her grasp, coaxed into action by her narrow but able hand. Nolan reached over and lifted the offending appendage causing the blade to fall silently on to the seat cushion before it could pierce her naturally tanned skin. Irisa's attention darted from its previous place on her leg to Nolan's hand and then his eyes. The ghost of ancient terror and sorrow rasied her brow. Lithe muscles tensed under Nolan's grip until she pulled her hand away, leaving the knife where it lay. She quickly turned away from him, hair swinging to rest over her shoulder as she looked out the window, focus now seemingly on the passing landscape. He knew why and he didn't want to ask, though he had to anyway.

"Why Denver, 'Risa?" Nolan asked, his own memories drifting back. Irisa answered more quickly than he expected.

"'We' should go to Denver...," She began, her words coming more evenly as she continued. Her last statement come in a single breath, stating what they both already knew, "that is where you saved me."


	2. Chapter 2

**Defiance - "One Rule" Chapter 2**

Not much had been said since Irisa made known she wanted to visit the place of her early childhood. Nolan could imagine a couple reasons she would want to go back but none of them mattered much when he considered how it could affect her.

The two travelers had stopped an hour or so ago, deciding to make camp as the sun descended over the horizon. The small clearing in a deeply forested area proved to be a fortuitous find. A small creek flowed a short distance from their tent, allowing them to refill their water stock. Alien bird calls that reminded Nolan heavily of Old Earth birds could be heard through the branches.

Irisa was fast asleep already, curled up on her side in her sleeping bag. She had not zipped it completely and Nolan could see she was shivering. Moving quietly, he pulled the material back over her shoulder and zipped it closed. To his satisfaction, she stopped trembling almost immediately.

_'Why does she want to go back to Denver if it bothers her so much?'_ Nolan thought to himself, elbows resting on his knees in a squatting position. It was the only reason he could think of to explain her silence and rush to sleep. He stood up, knees faintly grinding in his advancing age. Sometimes it did help to escape reality for a while, he supposed. Soundlessly, he made his way back to his own sleeping bag, shedding his coat and boots when he sat down. Despite himself Nolan leaned back on his arms, looking at Irisa once more without really seeing her. He huffed and shrugged his shoulders faintly, giving up on thinking that much for one night. If it was there tonight it would be there tomorrow.

Through some measure of luck, a clear spot in the branches above him allowed him to look up into the night sky. The stars had always served to calm him when he was a boy. Mostly because he had wanted badly to be out among them, searching for new life; see what was out there. He shifted as he got in his sleeping bag, trying to get comfortable by folding a pillow behind his head.

Now the starry sky was only filled with mostly space junk, streaking across the expanse in a way that would have been beautiful had he not known what it truly was. Still, there were a few stars here and there; enough to see. One such star loomed over him now. In its glow, he was reminded of the luminescent verdant rings of the Omec Ship Tsuroz as it rocketed off into the unknown reaches of space, carrying the entirety of the species. With a shake of his head he turned onto his side and closed his eyes, hoping he would be granted a restful night for once.

**XXXXX**

(Omec Ship)

"You're no better than me." A two toned voice declared, thick with a growl. Nolan's eyes opened to see a purple skinned alien straddling him, white teeth and lavender eyes filling his view. A not so gentle pressure was forced against his throat, keeping him pinned to the ground while the other forced his head down. Behind him was the menacing grind of equipment that promised to pulverize anything they got their inanimate teeth on. He wasn't a fan of how there didn't seem to be anything under his head.

The owner of the voice, Kindzi, looked down at Nolan's neck. Her attention focused on it hungrily as her true form came to bear, the hand on his head moving to clutch at his shirt. Razor sharp canine teeth grew from a mouth that unhinged like a snake's, lustfully moaning down at her victim.

"When you're right," Nolan's pain was forgotten as he reached down to the waist of his attacker, fingers finding what felt to be an ornate blade. He wrapped his hand around the hilt, tearing it from its place, "you're right." He plunged the blade through Kindzi's skull to the hilt, arresting her lunge forward to sink her teeth into his neck. Shock mingled with pure unadulterated rage cemented itself to her face as she froze, rooted in place by his iron grip on the knife. In one fluid motion, Nolan drove his knee into the Omec's stomach while pulling forward with the knife. The severely injured alien released a cry of anger and surprise when she understood what the Ark Hunter was trying to do. Nolan carried through with his leg, throwing her over him. A primal scream assaulted his ears as Kindzi fell, striking any jutting machinery in her path. The sound was muted permanently by the blades of one of the engine's generators, ripping the Kindzi to pieces.

Nolan turned over to look down at the decimated alien, only able to see the purple blood that stained the blades. He took a few labored breaths, unable to keep a defiant sneer of satisfaction from his lips. It was about time someone had done that. Lucky it was him.

Grunting through more labored breathing he sat up, trying to move forward but he could only managed to shuffle on one hand and knee. The other hand help what amounted to a shock baton that he'd taken off her as she fell.

"Doc!" Nolan yelled, trying to get the attention of the Indogene that was currently in control of the ship's systems. "Doooc!" He lifted himself from the floor but stayed doubled over, an arm pressed against his gut. With great effort he fell forward onto what looked like a computer console. That being said, it didn't amount to much. He couldn't understand a single character written on it. "How do I get the engines back on?!" The soldier asked again but no answer came. "Doc?!" Silence.

Nolan stood up as straight as he could manage, hunched slightly despite his best efforts. This was really getting on his nerves. What was the point of having somebody in control of the ships systems if you couldn't even speak to them?! His face became taut with anger as his breathing quickened, fury freeing him of his pain. With a deep breath he raised the shock baton, slamming it down on the console in front of him. In the moment he forgot to lift his hand from the console and it sent a shock rolling through him, making him cry out in pain once more. Despite this, the charge arked up the entirety of the system, forcing the dormant engine systems behind him to hum to life. He stumbled back over the ledge he was previously on, arms out to his sides to keep balance from the tremors the equipment caused. A massive ball of previously dormant liquified gulanite to ripple, undulating and collapsing back on itself before continuing the process.

"I'm back online," Doc Meh Yewll's disembodied voice carried over the ship's communication system.

'How convenient.' Nolan thought dryly.

"Everyone get out of here! The ship goes critical in 5 minutes." She continued, urgency saturating her voice.

With that simple command, Nolan turned and ran down the corridors back to the pods that brought them here in the first place. Thankfully he didn't get lost. He rounded the corner just in time to see Datak Tarr become enveloped in a transport pod, shooting down out of the ship and back to Earth. Irisa stood motionless as she watched Datak leave, no doubt waiting for Nolan to get back. It warmed his heart but he didn't have time to dwell on it. Shoving it from his mind, he ran up to her as she turned, alerted to his presence by his boots impacting the deck and excessive breathing.

"Come on, kiddo." Nolan said, gently grabbing her by the shoulders and walking her back towards the platform.

"Kindzi?" She asked, placing a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Dead." He replied, squinting in confusion. Shouldn't they leave immediately? He tried moving her back again. "Yewll?" Irisa planted her feet, not budging. Despite that, she just looked so ... tired.

"She's not coming." Her response was plain but cryptic all at once. She sounded as if she had accepted it already. The Doc had said that she would make sure they all got out. Maybe that was at her sacrifice. He would mourn and remember her later. Right now he had to get himself and his daughter away from this time bomb. That was until she spoke again. "Neither am I." Her voice cracked on the last word, betraying her rising emotions while her features were somehow relaxed. Nolan looked up from the platform he'd been analyzing for a moment, frustration replacing surprise quickly.

"Oh, come on! What do you.." Was all he could get before she spoke. They were almost out of here! Why did she have to complicate things now? He stepped back.

"This ship is full of intelligent people." The slightest smile turned the corners of her lips, proud of what she was doing. It hit Nolan then that she intended on staying with the Omec even though she would be lost forever. It touched him just how compassionate she had become in the last few months. She'd gone from the killer and scavenger that he'd raised her to be, inadvertently, and had become a woman with honor to be applauded. But he wouldn't let her do this. She continued, shaking her head, "I won't let them die." Her eyes held unshed tears, causing them to glisten in the light of the planet looming outside the observation deck windows

"This ship is about to explode." Nolan reminded, matter of factly.

"I have to stop it." Irisa said, no doubt believing she would somehow. Nolan looked on either side of her as if a solution would sprout from the metal floor, raising his arms in exasperation. Inevitably finding nothing, her focused back on her.

"The Omec are monsters." He sighed, tryaing again even though it was likely in vain.

"So were you once." Irisa reminded, drawing a stark comparison between the grizzled butcher and what he had worked to accomplish the last few years. Trying to save people. Nolan simply stared, mouth hanging slightly open. Her smile grew larger. "Me too. We saved each other. We can save the Omec." Nolan's jaw set as he thought of a solution to this problem. The point she made was valid. More valid than he would willingly admit to her. It was one of those things that you both knew but never said in an effort to keep it safe. Whether she was right or wrong, one thing was certain. He would save her no matter if she liked it or not.

Nolan locked eyes with his daughter and stepped back forward, staring down at her in a way that was almost menacing. Irisa jerked back in surprise, fear flashing across her features before Nolan stopped, he a full head taller than her.

"Doc!" Nolan shouted, pursing his lips and clamping his eyes shut before relaxing once more, "is there any way to stop the explosion?" His tone was not happy in the slightest but the question lit up Irisa's face, her grin returning.

"You gotta be freakin' kidding me. You can't stop the explosion." Nolan could hear the untold thought in her head. He and Irisa did always seem to cause her more trouble than necessary. "All of that energy's gotta go somewhere."

Nolan knelt down in front of Irisa, his battle scarred and aching joints not allowing him to remain upright. He hoped that in doing so Irisa would also see that he had fully committed to her request. They smiled at each other, Nolan's features much more worn. "Could we just vent it into space?"

"Yeah, but only through propulsion and that would send us randomly slingshotting into deep space. We would be hopelessly lost. We'd never find our way back to Earth." Nolan and Irisa were nodding to each other in silent agreement.

"That's kinda what I was goin for, Doc."

Irisa took a breath, her lip quivering. She undoubtedly was already mourning her home, thinking should would never see it again as a sacrifice for saving the Omec. It tugged at him but he had to remember it wouldn't come to that if he had anything to say about it.

"Find a home for the Omec far from Earth."

"You coddle that kid of yours, you know that, right?" Doc asked, huffing a laugh. Her tone was much more gentle than before.

"Mhm," was all Nolan could say, nodding his head in agreement. He would do anything for his little girl. Irisa raised her arms from her sides.

"One last adventure?" She asked, trying to make it seem like they were just doing what they always did. However Nolan could see that she knew that wasn't true despite her effort. His eyes rolled up and he slouched sighing.

"Live or die together." He droned, knowing that Irisa would say it eventually. That girl sure did wield that moto like a club. At least he could spare himself that. He opened his arms and she lunged forward, burying her face in his neck like she had done since she was a child. She gripped him tighter than he could ever recall. That made what he had to do all the more heartbreaking. Nolan raised the shock baton and pressed it against her side, sending a debilitating shock rolling through her lithe body. She grunted in shock, falling limp in his arms. Dropping the baton, Nolan caught her, easily lifting her up into his arms. This time she would not be able to stop him. Even though she had just been shocked, her mind never skipped a beat.

"Nolan, don't do this." She begged, her voice tense from her contracted muscles. Small convulsions racked her body causing her to elicit moans and grunts as Nolan set her down on the pod platform. He stared straight into her eyes and she his, unwavering.

"I'm, gonna miss you like crazy, baby girl." He whispered, a tear falling down his cheek for what he had done and what he had to do next without her. They'd walked together through life and come out of the other end better but only one thing was greater than that. He got to see the culmination of the experiences that allowed her to be the magnificent woman that now lay in his arms. She was perfect. "I am so proud of you. Now you got one life," he stopped, knowing these words were the last he would ever be able to tell her, "use it well." His love and sorrow all in one shone brightly on his hardened face before being suppressed, Nolan's military training reminding him he was on a timeline. He gently laid his daughter flat on the pod surface before taking a step back, turning away from her.

Irisa must have regained some control of her body because when he turned around, she was watching him. When their eyes met, she grunted, forcing her body into action. It was touching. She likely intended to stop him but it wouldn't matter. The pod was already slowly forming around her, starting with an atmospheric seal. Finally she stood on shaky feet. Nolan smiled bigger than he had in a very long time.

"Love you!" He said, knowing that she wouldn't be able to hear him but at least she could see it. Irisa's grieved expression broke his heart but when she mouthed back, "I love you, too," the pod enveloped her, blocking her from site. Then Nolan let his tears fall unabated. He'd never been good at emotions but now he couldn't stop them. She was worth that.

Nolan jogged over to the viewport that overlooked Earth and watched Irisa's pod shoot through the vacuum of space. Relief flowed washed over him for an instant before Doc Yewll's voice sliced through the moment.

"We have three minutes to vent the engines. You might want to hustle." She urged. Nolan's mind locked back to the task at hand, dashing through the corridors until he made it to the bridge of the Tsuroz. Alarms beat at his ears but he barely heard them.

Turning through the last doorway, Nolan was taken aback and stopped in his tracks. He stepped forward and looked all around him, trying to find some explanation for what he was looking at. In the only way he could describe it, Doc Yewll was wired to the ship all over her body while standing in some sort of device that reminded him of a closed flower bloom. He ventured closer, coming closer to her. Her eyes were shut and he was happy for the help when her voice came through the bridge speakers.

"There's a plug in my head," She began

'I can see that,' Nolan thought.

"yank it out." Doc instructed simply. Huh. Not a lot of room to get that wrong. That still didn't make him feel any better about what he was about to do. What if he pulled it out wrong? Concern quite apparent on his face, he bit the bullet and grabbed the spike in Meh's head, pulling it swiftly upward. The Doc's lungs gasped for air while her eyes rolled back forward, a foggy cloud covering each of them. After a couple breaths her eyes returned to their typical gray and artificial selves. "Irisa just safely on ground." The Doc sounded winded.

Gesturing over her shoulder with her head, a Captain's chair constructed itself from the floor panels as a viewport opened to allow him to see the infinite expanse of space in front of him. A sudden giddy feeling came over him as he nodded at Yewll, moving around her to go sit in the chair. This was what he'd always dreamed of. Still, it was marred by losing his own home. He lifted his arms, analyzing the myriad of panels and buttons that adorned the arms of the seat. "Let's roll. You don't happen to know any Johnny Cash, do you?" He asked in futility. Doc Yewll wasn't Irisa but he had to lighten the mood somehow.

"You start singing and I shoot you out the airlock." Doc promised. She surprised Nolan by speaking suddenly again. "But you won't have any need to sing anyway." Nolan spun in the chair, looking at the back of Doc's head, as she couldn't move. He could see her head was bowed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nolan asked, moving back around Yewll so he could face her, letting his hands fall to his sides in confusion.

"It means that I've been analyzing the system in greater detail. That means that I only now learned that this ship doesn't need a pilot. It only needs me." The soldier pinched the bridge of his nose and planted a hand on his hip. She looked back up at him.

"But you said..." Was all he could get out.

"I know what I said, Nolan!" Doc Yewll's expression softened in what looked like shame. "Seeing you and Irisa reminded me of what it was like to love someone. I never had a daughter but I can fairly accurately guess what you two were feeling and..." She babbled in an uncharacteristic way until Nolan interrupted her.

"We're on a timer doc!" He reminded, wiping his hand down his face. Doc's eyes narrowed and she fixed him with a certain stare.

"Your daughter needs you."

"Wha.." Nolan asked in shock before he was interrupted.

"In the time since she left, I've been trying to get to know the ship. It and I have come to an agreement. I am in control now. Get off my bridge." Was her reply as she mentally commanded the door from the bridge to open again.

"But Yewll,"

"Get off of my bridge! I can't believe you want to argue with me about this." Her breath came in stiff huffs, eyes closed. The ship must have been taking a toll on her.

"Doc," Nolan tried again, turning toward the door, head still turned.

"What?" She yelled, urgency in her voice. "You only have 1 minute!" Nolan took the extra second to make sure she knew he was genuine.

"Thank you." With that he threw her a salute and ran out the door back towards the transport pods. He hoped Doc Meh Yewll heard him say, "Smooth sailing!" as he ran through the corridors again. Man, he was getting tired of this.

Just as Nolan entered the pod chamber, Doc's disembodied voice filled the space between him and the pod as it began to count down from 20.

"20, 19, 18," Nolan ran forward towards the platform, adrenaline driving his fatigued body.

"12, 11, 10, 9," Yewll's voice gained intensity as if to drive Nolan faster. He now stood on the platform, the pod beginning to form around him. His eyes darted around the room, not seeing anything change but there was this nasty noise building up in the atmosphere of the ship. It was like Star Wars when a hyperdrive engine charged up oddly enough.

"6,5,4," Nolan's pod ejected from the ship, adjusting course quickly for Defiance. The inertial dampeners on board were astounding. He didn't feel a thing. Honestly, he was having too much fun to think about anything else. A maniacal laugh filled the close space around him. He'd get to see his daughter and Defiance again. He was reminded about who wouldn't when he felt the shockwave from the Tsuroz rocketing off into the unknown. Somebody had made a greater sacrifice than any of them that day. Silently he prayed that Doc Yewll would somehow, some way make it back to Earth one day. She would be honored.

The blackness of night on Earth was all that awaited him. Maybe there were a few sporadic lights here or there. Maybe even a city. Maybe some clouds or any other type of in-atmosphere weather but he would never know. The pod blocked much of what he could have seen from view.

In one short minute he felt the pod gently touch down in the mine tunnel they'd previously launched from. At least he hoped it was the same one. As the pod dissipated around him, the device that projected it sputtered and died beneath his feet.

_'Lucky me.' _Nolan thought, kicking the Omec piece of garbage away from him before spinning around, finding the exit to this mine shaft. He'd been in the McCawley mines too much the last few months to not know where he was going instantly. Regrettably, no one else was around to greet him. He bet they had gone outside to watch the Omec ship explode. He might have some explaining to do when he told everyone that Meh had flown off with the Omec at his request.

Gravel and dirt crunched beneath his boots as he exited the shaft into the cool air of a Defiance night. The town itself was lit up in the distance but what caught his eye were the green rings in the sky. He could only theorize how the ship managed to travel such distances with those rings but didn't really care right now. He needed to find her.

Extreme fatigue pulled at his consciousness, sometimes making his legs stop working as if to spite him. He fell to his hands and knees once before finally giving in to the fact he needed to slow down. Just as Nolan neared a small hill, a faint sob touched his ears. He stopped and waited a moment, trying to see if he could hear it again. The sound he heard next was a quiet laugh, saturated in desolation. Squinting, he made out a dark shape standing at the top of the hill before him, silhouetted by the moon and those rings. Its shoulders bobbed as it wept, raising hands to its face. The moonlight illuminated the slight frame of a young woman whose hair was the color of burning fire.

"Hey, baby girl." Nolan said, stopping halfway up the hill. Irisa froze before her hands slowly lowering to her sides. She muttered something to herself that didn't sound encouraging in the slightest and Nolan was struck with remembrance of the visions that taunted her up until the last year or so. He closed the distance between them, softly laying his hands on her shoulders. The action prompted yet another sob from his daughter. Her shoulders trembled. Nolan gingerly turned her around to face him, though her eyes did not raise to meet his.

"It's me, 'Risa," he said tenderly. His left hand cupped her cheek even as her lips drew back in emotional anguish. He took his right hand off her shoulder and brushed her hair from her eyes and tucked it neatly behind her ear. Irisa leaned ever so slightly into his hand, allowing him to use his knuckle to gently raise her head. "I'm still here." Irisa broke out of her stupor, sobs racking her body when she finally allowed herself to look at him.

"Dad!" Irisa cried, her voice cracked with emotion but now with some relief. Her arms rocketed around him and if he thought she'd hugged him hard on the Tsuroz then he had another thing coming. He loved every single pound of pressure. Her face found its place in his neck as the two held each other, emerald rings in the sky over them forgotten and fading.

"I'll explain everything later," he paused. "I love you so much, Irisa." Nolan reminded, his own voice cracking along with free flowing tears.

"I love you too."


End file.
